| Last Edited | 24/11/2014 |
| ShipVoyage* | Between January 1673 and March 1673 the Johanna Catharina, an English slaver, was captured when the island of St Helena, then under control of the English East India Company, was overrun by soldiers of the VOC. They occupied the island until May 1673 when English reinforcements regained control. The Johanna Catharina, with a cargo of 240 Malagasy and Mozambican slaves destined for Barbados, was sent to the Cape where it arrived on 12 March 1673 and 184 slaves were landed the same day. Fifteen had died enroute, but thus far I have not discovered anything further of the remaining forty one. By 26 April many of the slaves had taken ill in the wet and cold weather at the Cape. On 28 April the sale of 37 of these slaves to officers of the fleet was cancelled by orders brought to the Commander and the Council with the Posthoorn, and instructions received they were to be sent to Batavia on the [Zuyd] Polsbroeck. By 27 May, many slaves were dying, in particular the St. Helena slaves were dying in numbers.4,5,6 |
| Names in the record, in publications, etc. | The Johanna Catharina was renamed the Helena 25 May 1673.7 |
Citations
- Clearly an adaption of an English name, perhaps Johanna Catherine.
- [S664] H.C.V. Leibbrandt Compiler, (Castle Street, Cape Town: W.A. Richards & Sons, 1902), pp. 116-124.. Hereinafter cited as Journal 1671-1674, 1676.
- [S654] Mansell Upham 'What can't be cured, must be endured … Cape of Good Hope - first marriages & baptisms (1652-1665)', First Fifty Years, Uprooted Lives - Unfurling the Cape of Good Hope's Earliest Colonial Inhabitants (1652-1713), (http://e-family.co.za/ffy/ui66.htm), January 2012.
- [S664] H.C.V. Leibbrandt Compiler, Journal 1671-1674, 1676, pp. 116-124.
March 5th. Arrival of a small flute, which whilst approaching flew a number of strange flags and fired seven guns when in the mouth of the bay, which were answered with three from the Fort. She was soon recognised as the Vliegende Zwaan, returning from St. Helena. Captain Bredenbach having landed, brought the news of the happy conquest of the aforesaid Island, which had been taken without any resistance worth mentioning, for the enemy, fearing by God's special dispensation the power of our arms, did not await our arrival, but fled with all their movables to an English vessel of war sent from England with a reinforcement of 40 soldiers and ammunition, leaving behind them only a few poor husbandmen, who after the island had been completely taken possession of, came to us with a white flag to ask for pardon. In the captured forts only 29 metal and iron guns were found of different calibre, mostly all spiked, and a small quantity of ammunition and other lumber, &c. Moreover, God Almighty had also let fall into our hands the flute Johanna Catharina, destined via Madagascar and Mozambique to Barbadoes with 240 slaves, and which had called at St. Helena for refreshments. These slaves, obtained so unexpectedly, will come in very handy here.
The letters were very brief, and gave no information regarding the manner in which the Island had been taken, and merely referred to the journal kept during the voyage to St. Helena until the departure thence of the Swaantje, and we would have remained ignorant of all detail if Captain Breitenbach had not, orally and in writing, enlightened us.
March 11th. Arrival of one of the freeman’s boats laden with fish from Saldanha Bay. When sailing away she had encountered the English prize, the Johanna Catharina, on board of which vessel everything was still in good condition. The large flat-bottomed boat which the Bruydegom was towing towards the Cape, having got loose and been thrown on shore, was recovered by the Superintendent on information received from some Hottentoos.
March 12th (Sunday). Arrival in the afternoon of the English prize, when boats were at once sent to her in order to land the slaves. One hundred and eighty-four were accordingly brought on shore, adults and children of both sexes, some of whom appeared lean and “outbacken” (suffering from eating stale ships’ stores). Fifteen had died during the voyage. After having been mustered in the square in presence of the Governor, and inspected by the latter, they were at once provided with some clothing, and for the night lodged in the second shed of the new Fort, where they were provided with good refreshments of which those who were almost sick of hunger were so very fond that they cleared off everything as if the cook’s kitchen had not smoked for eight days. These refreshments will have to be continued for some days that they may be completely restored to health and strength. As we concluded, and as a certain black “Mandador” of the slaves informed us in English, she must be the same vessel encountered by Commander Hugo at Masquette, of which he spoke when he was here last, and also makes mention in his journal.
March 14th. The Johanna Catharina being discharged and cleaned. A certain burgher who had for his pleasure accompanied Sergeant Jeronymus to the interior, returning towards evening, reported that the sergeant was on his return, and would pass the night at the second river of the Hottentoos Holland, and that he had a fine troop of 130 head of cattle with him, 70 of which were fit for the plough and wagon, as well as 100 good sheep obtained from Gounema and the Souswaes. The war was still being carried on by the respective tribes, and Gounema had carried off the whole kraal, as well as the cattle of Captain Claas.
April 25th. During the rainy and cold weather many of the slaves taken with the English prize fell ill ; they do not seem to be accustomed to a bleak climate, or able to bear it.
April 28th. …The 37 slaves brought over from St. Helena and distributed among the officers of the fleet, having been sold at good prices, were By express interdict, notified to the Commander and council per the Posthoorn, again released, and ordered to be sent away in the Polsbroeck. They were brought on shore to-day, being the best, and selected according to each one's fancy.
May 27th. The flute Helena leaves for St. Helena with our letters. The Company's slaves, and chiefly those who came from St. Helena, are dying very much, a considerable number having been buried within a short time, which is very inconvenient for the Company. - [S428] Website Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) "Between January and May 1673 the Dutch East India Company forcibly took the island, before English reinforcements restored English East India Company control.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Helena, last accessed 23 Nov 2014." - [S815] Mansell G. Upham 'Documented Slave Arrivals at the Cape of Good Hope (1652-1677)', First Fifty Years, Uprooted Lives - Unfurling the Cape of Good Hope's Earliest Colonial Inhabitants (1652-1713), (Unpublished), 16 November 2014. "12 March 1673: capture of English prize Johanna Catharina (subsequently renamed Helena) brings 148 [184?] Malagasy men, women & children slaves, of whom only 37 remain at the Cape,."
- [S664] H.C.V. Leibbrandt Compiler, Journal 1671-1674, 1676, p. 135.
May 25th. Rain continuing with a N.W. wind; the sea again navigable.
The English prize, re-named the Helena, we intend to despatch to Mauritius, partly to convey thither some lasts of rice in the place of the Grundel (wrecked), and partly to take thence a cargo of ebony for Batavia, with a report regarding the state of affairs on that Island.
